Slipper



Nov. 13, 1956 H HAYDEN 2,770,955

SLIPPER Filed Jan. 22. 1954 2 Sheets-Shet K INVENTOR u 29 lielm 1 1/01 4510 25) A k BY I ATTCRNEi'S Nov. 13, 1956 H. M. HAYDEN 2,770,055

SLIPPER Filed Jan. 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS United States Patent SLIPPER Helen M. Hayden, New York, N. Y.

Application January 22, 1954, Serial No. 405,580

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-51) This invention relates to an improved construction of a slipper that has many advantages usable by persons of all ages.

The improved construction of slipper described herein may be employed in large sizes, or in small sizes for use on a baby during its crawling and creeping stage and for the special purpose of keeping the slippers or bootees on the feet of the baby at all times, and especially while crawling. The construction herein disclosed has ac complished this result very satisfactorily as tests have proven. Also, the improved construction is readily employed in slippers or shoes for adults. One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved construction of slipper or bootee that will be easily retained on the feet of the wearer, and especially on a baby during periods of pulling, hauling, kicking, crawling and scufing. This desirable construction provides for portions of the slipper being a body portion and portions of so-called non-stretchable material, and of material that is resilient or stretchable to a desired or predetermined degree, and of another resilient material for a sock or upper portion that is stretchable to another degree, all of which stretchable materials are so positioned that they cooperate in engagement with the foot or with the foot and ankle and lower leg to hold the slipper to the foot even under various degrees of scuffing or kicking.

If desired, the two different stretchable materials may be replaced with one stretchable material, which is so positioned or assembled or incorporated in the slipper in one part thereof that that part of it effects greater resiliency or stretching than another part of it when assembled in another part of the slipper, all as will later be explained in detail.

A further feature of the invention is to provide an improved structure of the slipper so that the seams which normally develop by the sewing or stitching of the elastic or stretchable portions or parts of the slipper to the inelastic part and up the heel and around the top portion of the body and down along a slot or cut away part adjacent the instep, all of which seams cooperate with the inelastic and elastic or resilient parts of the slipper to create a gripping of the slipper to the foot for holding the slipper on the foot during picking, scufiing or walking.

Another feature of this invention is the provision in an improved slipper, or bootee for small sizes, of a resilient or stretchable material across a relative size portion of the instep so that there is a tendency to hug the foot. In addition, it is desired to form the body of the slipper of relatively inelastic material so that the hugging of the resilient or stretchable material will not push the foot out of the slipper. It has been found that the formation of the heel of the slipper into relatively vertical position above the sole of the slipper is obtained by rounding the heel body in its manufacture or by sewing together the two rear ends of the inelastic body material, thus creating a relatively inelastic backing at the heel of the slipper "ice so that the foot may not slide rearward or slip out of the slipper.

Another feature of this improved invention is the provision of a slipper that may be pulled on to the foot in a single operation and is securely held on the foot without laces, buckles, buttons, snaps, or ribbons. Further, when the slipper is made for the baby, it may be made of materials that are easily laundered.

Another feature is the advantage of the foot, after having been inserted in the slipper, of being free for movement within the slipper, and in the baby size especially permits the baby to retain the slipper on its foot and to crawl or kick as desired.

The foregoing features and advantages and objectswill be apparent on reading the detailed description given below and when taken with the drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved slipper showing its construction with a cut away portion on the instep and of a sock or upper portion;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the slipper shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2', and

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of construction where the cut away portion takes a different shape than that shown in Fig. 1.

In providing the improved slipper herein the drawings are prepared for a slipper that is preferably employed for a baby during its crawling period. It has several features and advantages for holding the slipper on to the foot during crawling and kicking so that the slipper will not be rubbed off. The principles of structure of a slipper of larger size include the features herein presented in connection with the preferred form of slipper made for a baby.

In providing this improved construction of slipper reference is made to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 wherein there is provided a sole 15 preferably made of leather, fabric, plastic, or any durable material which is usually flexible. There is also provided a relatively inelastic body 16 of substantially inelastic material which is attached to the sole 15 by sewing, or by any other suitable means, and usually has its rear part fastened together by stitching to form a seam 17. This heel portion of the slipper as made and assembled, normally is vertical to the sole and thus forms a substantial right angle therewith. In addition the top portion of the slipper is preferably formed of two different elastic or resilient materials 18 and 19, and a top edging 20, all of which cooperate with the body 16 to maintain the slipper on the foot of the wearer during any uses.

The two flexible materials 18 and 19 are preferably sewn to the body 16 along the edges 21 and 22 of a cut away portion 23 and along the top edge 24 above the cut away portion 23. Instead of two different materials, and when using a single knitted material, the part 17 may be knitted on smaller needles to give a tighter portion than the knitting 19 above which is a ribbing of greater resiliency than portion 18. p

In providing this improved slipper, which is retained on the foot during use without the necessity of buckles, laces, buttons, snaps, etc., it is desired that the resilient or flexible material 18 in the cut away portion of body 16 be of a predetermined flexibility which acts to bind, to a desirable extent, across the instep of the wearer and this resiliency is less than the resiliency of the flexible material or ribbing 19 which usually constitutes the sock or upper portion of the slipper. When desired, this portion 19 may be substituted by any suitable form of holding means for engagement with the ankle and with all or part of the top edge 24 of the body portion 16. The edging 20 may be of a different resiliency or stretchable material than either materials 18 or 19. If desired, this edging may be omitted. It is preferred to turn down the 3 ribbing. or resilient material 19 to form a cult 26 which also functions to assist in binding against the lower part of the leg by the ankle, and thus there is cooperation of the material 18 of one resiliency and material 19 of a dilferent resiliency, and still a diflerent resiliency in the form of the edging 24. The sewing of the resilient materials at the edges 21, 22- and 24 of the body 16 creates seams which also may engage thefoot of the wearer and assist in the holding of the slipper. All of these various parts or portions of the slipper which engage the foot cooperate to give a good substantial hold.- ing of the slipper on the foot. However, the slipper will be held on the foot even when some of these portions are not binding to too large an extent.

While the resilient portions 18 and 19 are shown as of dilferent resiliency, and the material 18 has a top edge 27 to which a part of the more resilient material 19 is attached, it will be understood that a material of a single resiliency may be employed to form the filling of the cut away part 22 and form the sock or upper portion 19-; In such a case it is desired to assemble or mount the portion 18 so that it creates a greater binding over the instep than the binding of part 19 on the ankle portion of the wearer. Thus, there are two different resilient bindings against the foot which assist in maintaining the slipper in position. It is to be noted that these two types of different degrees of bindings may be obtained by having two conditions of the portions 18 and 19, or it may be of a single material properly mounted or assembled so that two ditlerent intensities of bindings are obtained.

Referring now to Fig. 3, which is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, the sole 15 is shown with an insert 28, usually of a soft material, incorporated therein. While Figs. 1 and 2 have shown the construction of the sole 15 and body portion 16 as being sewn together, Fig. 3 also shows such a structure and includes a protection seam binding or cover 29. The addition 30 on the toe portion of the slipper is usually of some ornamental type of material, which in the slipper drawing shown for a youngster, may be a simulation of a rabbits face.

Referring now to Fig. 4, there is shown a modified form of slipper, the cut away portion 23 being shownin different form, somewhat as a rectangular form, and it provides for a little more material of the less resilient portion 18. Usually this larger area for binding across the instep would permit of a material of little greater resiliency than when the V -shaped cut away portion 23 is selected. The upper or more resilient material or ribbing 19 forming the sock or upper portion, may be of practically the same resiliency or stretchableness as that of the material 19 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The cooperation of all of the various portions of the slipper that engage the foot and the ankle give a suflicient engagement of the slipper on the foot so that it is not readily pulled oil or kicked off, but is of such structure that the foot may be slipped into the slipper and held in position without buckles, laces, buttons, snaps, ribbons, or the like, but still be movable while in the slipper.

Itwillbe noted from the foregoing description that an improved slipper has been produced that will stand the rough and tumble of usage, and that when made in small sizes for babies in the crawling stage will still be retained on the foot during that crawling period of time when the usage is most difiicult. It will be noted also that the slipper is designed so that buckles, laces, buttons, snaps,

etc., will not be needed or employed or incorporated. A

very considerable advantage and holding cooperation is obtained by having a firmer resilient material in the cut away portion, and by having a less resilient material in the upper part of the slipper. Equivalent binding may be obtained in using one material and having it constructed of less resiliency than another part, or by so assembling the single material with the relatively inelastic body portion that there will be established resiliency of two difierent intensities available for holding the slipper in position on the foot.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred form of the invention herein, and such modifications and changes are to be understood as part of this invention, as outlined in the following claim.

The invention claimed is:

In a slipper that grips the foot of a wearer, the combination of a substantially inelastic sole, a substantially inelastic body attached to the sole and extending upwardly along the side of the foot to just below the ankle bone when the slipper is in use, said body having a slot of substantial width at its upper end extending downwardly for a short distance at the instep part thereof, and asock portion fastened to said body at the edges of said slot and at the top edges of the rest of the body and extending across said slot and upwardly around the ankle, the sock portion being made of stretchable material with the part of the sock portion that extends across the slot being less stretchable than the rest of said material and tighter against the wearer when the slipper is in use, whereby the part of the sock portion that extends across the slot creates a binding over the instep and against the heel and against the lower part to the leg of the wearer to hold said slipper in position against removal by sending or kicking.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 174,170 Van Haverbeke Feb. 29, 1876 282,901 Joyce Aug. 7, 1883 732,045 Cahill June 30, 1903 888,994 Gilman May 26, 1908 1,852,300 Grosvenor Apr. 5, 1932 2,586,045 Hoza Feb. 19, 1952 2,675,631 Doughty Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,787 Great Britain June 6, 1903 

